Making homemade baby food

I loved the idea of making homemade baby food for my 7-month-old, but the make-it-as-you-go approach just wasn't working well for us. Our evenings get too chaotic, and sometimes you just need a grab and go option.

Then a friend referred me to this blog post, and I really loved the system she used for making big batches, storing, and freezing.

Here’s an example of how I used her method to make apple baby food for Jake:

What I used:
      • four red delicious apples
      • apple corer/slicer
      • peeler
      • large bowl
      • large cooking pot
      • distilled baby water
      • strainer
      • food processor
      • spatula (a small one works well)
      • Tovolo perfect cube trays (though any ice cube tray would probably work)
      • large zip lock bag
      • freezer

I cored, cut, and peeled the four apples, so that I had a large bowl of apple chunks.

I brought distilled baby water to a boil in a large cooking pot and boiled the apples for 30 minutes (or until tender).

I strained the apples over my large bowl so that I could keep some of the water, just in case I wanted to use it to thin out my puree a bit more in the food processor. Turns out I didn’t need it. The apples came out nice and smooth.

I carefully and slowly poured my puree into my silicon perfect cube trays. The bendy-ness of these trays makes it super easy to pop out the frozen cubes. Plus each cube is a perfect 1 oz serving, which is convenient for portioning out baby's meals.

I used the small spatula to smooth out my puree over the entire tray.

I tried to make each cube as compact as possible to prevent air bubbles.

Then I placed the tray in my freezer to freeze overnight. I had a couple of ounces of excess, which we fed to little man that evening. (Freshly-made baby food lasts about 48 hours in the fridge, and 3 – 6 months in the freezer.)

Mmmmm, applesauce!

He has a goofy look on his face here, but he really did enjoy his apples!

A couple of days later, I popped out my apple cubes and put them in a large zip lock bag labeled with the date and the name of the food. Into the deep freezer they went.

Each of the cubes takes about a minute to defrost in the microwave. Easy peasy, and delicious!

Do you make your own baby food? What works well for you?

Megan Brooks is a Sr. Public Relations Specialist for Texas Health Resources, Stepmom, and Mom to a 7-month-old who loves his pureed fruits.